


Reunion Part 2

by ForensicSpider98



Series: Love After the Fact [32]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, All this stress is bad for the baby, Altean Adam (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-War, it's keith. keith is the baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: Keith gets a (relatively) private moment with Shiro.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Coran (Voltron), Allura/Lotor/Romelle (Voltron), Haggar/Zarkon (Voltron), Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Love After the Fact [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635043
Comments: 38
Kudos: 205





	Reunion Part 2

Keith follows the Alteans into the dining hall, listening to their polite conversations, not taking part. He’s a little nervous without having Lance as a buffer between himself and the castle chaos, but Lance deserves a moment alone with his sister. And Keith deserves a moment alone with Shiro.

He and Shiro sit together at the far end of the table, away from and ignoring Alfor’s stink eye. Shiro leans in close so they might have more privacy.

 **“Did you hear it?”** ‘It’ of course, being the second heartbeat Keith heard when his ears caught hold of Allura.

Keith looks to his littermate, responds in his own language. **“Of course. This is good. It is good progress.”**

 **“That’s such an… Altean way of looking at things,”** Shiro teases.

 **"Oh, shut up!"** Keith works up a smile. **“Lance is rubbing off on me. But I am happy for them. A kit is always a blessing. How was your season?”**

**“Inconvenient as ever, but nothing out of the ordinary, and it gave me the opportunity to spend time with Adam when he flew in. How have you been? Have you been hungrier than usual? Sleepy?”**

**“That’s good. And no, I haven’t. I don’t expect to for another few phoebs.”**

**“Do you expect to have a kit right away? What are Lance’s expectations?”**

Keith hesitates. He hasn’t considered this. He’s not sure he wants a child so early into adulthood. It will make the transition even more jarring. Growing from a kit into a full-grown Galra in a movement involves sexual urges and abrupt changes in behavior which will present challenges to both himself and Lance. Now that he thinks about it, adding pregnancy to that feels like a lot.

**“You haven’t thought about this at all, have you?”**

**“No. I’d have to speak to Lance about it and it makes me uncomfortable,”** he admits. **"Alteans are weird about this stuff. They tend to skirt around it unless they're implying someone else has done something untoward. At least once a movement they mention Lance's perversion due to my sex or suggest that he's a pedophile."**

Shiro sighs, pats Keith's head, scratching at the base of his ear. **“That's disgusting. No wonder Lance seems afraid to look directly at you in public. And naturally, it would make you uncomfortable. You're a kit. But it’s something to think about. Really, you and Lance should be in agreement before your season, and preferably before your growth spurt… He doesn’t know about your condition, by the way. Adam knows, but elected to keep it from the prince.”**

Shiro’s eyes slide to the Altean, who stands dutifully in the corner until Alfor yells at him to eat something. Keith sighs. He understands Adam’s reluctance to give Lance something more to worry about, but that reticence will definitely bite them in the ass when all his bones feel like they’re breaking at the growth plates.

 **“I’ll… try,”** he mumbles. Shiro raises an eyebrow. **“I will!”**

The captain observes the little kit. He seems rather down, ears wilted a touch, glancing down the table. **“We can go sit with everybody if you want.”**

 **“It’s not that,”** Keith mumbles. **“Nevermind. It’s nothing.”**

**“Keith, don’t do that. Not to me.”**

Keith sighs, thumps his tail on the floor. His ears droop toward the floor. **“I have grown fond. Of Lance, I mean.”**

 **“How fond?”** Shiro props his head up on his fist. Keith wants to slap the smug grin off his stupid face. But he also desperately wants his littermate’s guidance.

**“I don’t know… Very fond?”**

**“Hm. Do you love him?”**

**“I-”** Did he? Keith wasn’t sure. **“I don’t think so?”**

 **“So… probably, but you’re not ready to admit it.”** That grin turns into a smirk and Keith smacks his littermate on the arm. **“But you** **_do_ ** **admit you have feelings for him?”**

Keith takes a few bites of his food, stalling. Shiro waits patiently, unrelenting. It doesn’t take long for Keith to give in. **“I guess? I mean, I think so, but I’m not sure. I just… I feel happy. When- When I’m with him. And… it hurts?”**

 **“Hurts?”** Shiro asks, frowning.

**“He… He likes me. I can see that he does. But he won’t say anything-”**

**“Maybe because you’re a kit the entire court things he's a pedophile and your sex serves to satisfy some strange perversion?”** Keith scowls, scrapes his fork childishly over his empty plate to produce a screeching noise. Shiro chuckles. **“Alright, fine. Do you want me to spy on him all night and tell you if you have a shot? Is that what you want?”**

 **“Kinda?”** Keith’s fingers twist the end of his braid. **“I just… I don’t even know what I want. All I know is I want more than this.”**

**“It would be nice to have a real life with him. You’re allowed to want that, and you deserve to have it.”**

**“Thanks.”** Keith smiles. **“It’d be nice to have some kind of family here.”**

**“I know. Alteans are so freakishly anti-social.”**

**“They are! They hardly ever seem to touch each other! They sleep all alone in their own rooms unless they have mates! The kits sleep alone unless they’re newly born! Takashi, _their kits sleep alone!_”**

**“Freaks!”**

“What’s this about freaks?” Lance leans into their line of sight, hands clasped behind his back, lips curled into a sly smile. “Are you talking about me again? I know the court does.”

“Yes.” Shiro sat back as Adam trotted over with a plate of food for the crown prince. “We were talking about what you did last second quintant.”

"Thanks, Adam. You're a hero." Lance pauses, a bite halfway to his mouth. “Wait. How do you know about- Oh! You’re messing with me!”

“Well, I was, but-” Adam dances past, brushing a hand over Shiro’s shoulder as he passes. Keith sticks his tongue out, wrinkles his nose in mock disgust, tugs on Shiro’s perked ear. “Ow, Keith! Cut it out, you brat! -But now I really wanna know.”

Lance turns his nose up at the captain. “What I do when I’m alone is my business.”

“Lance! That’s so gross!” Keith screeched.

“If you think it’s so gross, don’t use the tub until the staff clean our room tomorrow.”

Keith glares at his spouse. “I took a bath this morning.”

“Not my fault,” Lance sings. “Listen. One day, you’ll grow up and you too will wanna- Yes?” Adam’s come back over, bent by his ear, whispering frantically. Lance frowns. “I see. Very well. I’ll take care of it.”

Lance shovels food in his mouth, clearly preparing to leave. Keith’s heart sinks. “Oh, are you leaving?”

“I’m so sorry, but yes. About a dozen things have gone wrong in the final vargas, and I must take care of it. I’m sorry, beloved. I know it’s tough dealing with-” Lance’s eyes dart to his father. “-things on your own, but father’s made this event my responsibility. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure your schedule’s clear. You can take a break. But for now?” 

Lance sighs, gets to his feet, adjusts the circlet in his starlight hair. He looks tired, Keith realizes. He moves like he's sore and there are shadows under his eyes, which Adam and Vetroneius will tag team to conceal when they paint his face.

“Stay close to your brother, and everything will be fine.” Lance kisses his cheek. “And I will see you in time to change for the ball.” Lance kisses his cheek a second time, kissed the top of his head before all but sprinting to the door where Adam waits impatiently.

Keith turns to his brother. **“See what I mean?! It’s so frustrating.”**

Shiro nods, sagely. **“You need to stick your tongue in his mouth.”**

 **“Takashi!”** Keith punches his littermate in the arm.

 **“Tell him how you feel.”** Shiro shrugs like it’s obvious and Keith almost hates him for that. **“Everything else will work itself out.”**

 **“You think so?”** Keith whispers, placing his hands in his lap. **“Shouldn’t he tell me? He’s older-”**

**“I know so. Fuck traditional roles. Lance likes you, and you like him back. That’s all that matters here. So tell him how you feel, then-”**

**“Put my tongue in his mouth, yeah, yeah.”** Keith rolls his eyes. **“But** **_if_ ** **I do that, _you_ have to put _your_ tongue in _Adam’s_ mouth.”**

Shiro narrows his gray eyes at his young littermate. **“You’re on.”**

 ** _“And_ if one of us pussies out, they have to eat an entire plate of Altean food.”** Keith smirks. 

**“Deal.”** A pause. **"We're not actually gonna-"**

 **"No, ew! In the meantime, wanna see what I've been working on?"** Keith knows he's basically asking for his brother's praise, but it's a dark secret of his that he desperately needs that approval. He thrives on it.

**"Of course! I heard you were training a few troops for defense?"**

Keith grins, pulls out his datapad to brag about his platoon. The pride on his littermate’s face has been worth every bit of annoyance his more… insubordinate pupils have incurred. Keith explains how he’s been incorporating more Galran movements to minimize weaknesses in the Altean fighting style while emphasizing Alteans' speed to make up for their comparative lack of strength.

Shiro nods, deeply impressed as Keith shows him a video. He has council on incorporating battle drills and philosophy, highlighting some of the discord amongst the platoon and the irreverence the young soldiers occasionally display.

To Keith’s surprise, Shiro also has questions of his own, particularly in regards to what he might want to teach his own soldiers. It's new for him, offering something in the way of knowledge. He's never been happier.

Up to this point, Keith has only ever been a pupil, has never been a teacher. He’s always been the kit, the youngest littermate, the runt that Shiro chose to protect instead of cast off. Now, he’s a colleague, a peer, a friend, an associate. Still a littermate, but he feels more equal.

He spots that treasured, white-haired head peeking into the room for a second, checking on him, giving him a little wave, a crooked grin before running off. Keith can’t help but smile. He doesn’t need Lance to look out for him, but whether it’s some kind of warped paternal instinct or just general concern, he appreciates the Altean’s effort.

Keith just… He appreciates _Lance_. He’d like to show him that, somehow. If he can.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time on Love After the Fact: Not sure yet, lol. It's exam week and I am very tired. Y'all got ideas? Suggestions? Requests? Cries of outrage?
> 
> UPDATE: Next Time on Love After the Fact: Lance and Keith are lovesick dorks. Again.


End file.
